In 1513, Juan Ponce de León landed in Florida and raised Spain’s royal banner of Castile and León, marking one of the earliest European claims in North America. The design combined symbols from Castile, León, and Aragon to represent unified Spanish authority. Spain raised this flag again in 1565 at St. Augustine, the first permanent European settlement in what is now the United States. This flag reflects the beginning of European influence in early American flag history.